It’s not every day that you see teenagers building rockets.

But, that’s exactly what a group of youngsters spent the summer doing thanks to Sun Oil Ltd.

The teens flexed their math and science muscles at the Bahamas Engineering & Technology Advancement (BETA) Camp, which was – for the first time – held in The Bahamas at the College of The Bahamas (COB).

While at camp, participants got an opportunity to focus on science, technology, engineering and math skills – subject areas that most kids shy away from.

Sun Oil, a subsidiary of FOCOL Holdings Limited, employs many engineers and wanted to assist in giving aspiring engineers an opportunity to advance their skills while on summer break.

“The reason Sun Oil embarked on such endeavors is due to a genuine passion and a commitment to positively impacting the communities in which we live and operate”, said Sun Oil Marketing Manager, Rufus Johnson II.

Mr. Johnson said his company has been assisting summer camps for a number of years. This summer, the company sponsored in excess of $30,000, with total Annual sponsorships well into the six figure range.

Some of the other camps that benefited from Sun Oils’ assistance include, the Fred ‘Papa’ Smith Sports Academy Camp, the Jackie Conyers Volleyball Camp, the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) Summer Youth Camp, the Alpha Aquatics Swim Club, the Star Trackers Track & Field Camp, the Primary Youth Basketball Camp and the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Track & Field Camp.

While at those camps, the children had an opportunity to participate in sports, storytelling and arts & crafts.

Mr. Johnson said the feedback from camp administrators has been “phenomenal.”
“They are excited and have assured us that all amounts great and small have gone a long way in strengthening their programs and providing opportunities for many persons, who otherwise would not have been able to have been afforded it,” he said.

This summer, the Fred ‘Papa’ Smith Sports Academy Camp, which was located at the Southern Recreation Grounds on Market Street, taught children the fundamentals of baseball.

For three hours every weekday, players learned all about the game of baseball and participated in various activities in order to develop their skills, including running drills, outfield work, hitting, throwing, and base running.

Jackie Conyers Volleyball Camp, a staple for many years now, continued to thrive this year teaching participants the fundamentals and skills of volleyball.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) Summer Youth Camp also gave dozens of children the opportunity to learn and have fun in a safe environment.

The camp, which is governed by Superintendent Stephen Dean, also treated the youngsters to weekly field trips where they went to the forts and spent the day at popular tourist attractions.

Over at the Alpha Aquatics Swim Club, some of the youngsters learned how to swim while others learned how to train for swim competitions.

Operators said a typical day at the camp involved various swimming drills that focus on technique and speed.